By Yankuba Jallow
Senior State Counsel Lamin Jarju has accused alleged drug dealer Pablo Djabi of providing fake medical certificates to the high court trying to obtain permission to travel outside the Gambia.
The State opposed the application by renowned alleged drug peddler Pablo Djabi, who was seeking court’s permission to travel outside The Gambia on medical reasons.
“The Medical Report (Exhibit PD3) attached to the Applicant’s (Pablo’s) application was confirmed to be faked by the Chief Executive Officer (CE0) of the Kanifing General Hospital in a letter dated 4th of April 2024 via Ref: KGH/CEO/19/04/2024,” narcotic officer Basiru Mboge stated in his sworn statement.
The letter was addressed to the Director of Public Prosecution and provided to the court.
Pablo Djabi, a man standing trial on 15 criminal charges for drug possession, money laundering and related offences applied to the high court to allow him travel outside the Gambia. In December 2023, Justice Francis A. Achibonga of the High Court restricted Paulo Djibi from travelling outside the country in a ruling he granted him bail. The bail bond was the sum of One Hundred and Twenty Million Dalasi (D120,000,000) with two (2) sureties, to be justified with landed property/properties and for Pablo to deposit his two international passports with the registry of the high court.
“The applicant shall not have access to his international passport except with the leave of court,” Justice Achibonga ruled.
He also passed an order that Pablo should report to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency office along the Kairaba Avenue, every Tuesday of the week at 10 am.
Now Pablo, through his lawyer, Kadijatou Jallow, has filed a motion before Justice Jaiteh of the high court seeking permission to be allowed to travel outside the country for medical purposes. The motion was supported by a statement sworn to by Pablo.
Pablo said the High Court has frozen his assets and accounts in the Gambia on the 31st of October 2023. He added that he was in custody for over three (3) months under the custody of the DLEAG in different places from September to December 2023.
“I have been having pain during the three months I was in custody but had always drunk painkillers believing same to be minor. The pain revolves around the abdominal part most times in my left side which has been persistent. After my release, I went to different hospitals for checkups. Due to its persistence, I decided to conduct a general check-up.
As a result of the same I was diagnosed with left Kidney stone with hydronephrosis Secondary which requires extracorporeal shock wave Lithotripsy by the Kanifing General Hospital which was reduced to a Medical Report,” Pablo stated.
He attached a copy of the said Medical Report from Kanifing General Hospital. He said it is affecting him and his business. He wants the court to intervene.
“Unless this Honourable Court intervene, my health condition is likely to deteriorate significantly in the future,” he said, adding that “Unless this Court intervenes my health condition will also affect my business which will have a great impact on my finances.”
He said he won’t abscond since he has been given sufficient bail bond and has a business interest in the Gambia.
The Attorney General opposed the application. In a sworn statement by Basiru Mboge, a public servant working with the Drug Law Enforcement Agency- the Gambia said he took part in the investigation and the arrest of the Applicant as a member of the Joint Investigation Team established to investigate the allegation of drug trafficking, money laundering and related charges against Pablo.
He accused Pablo of making false claims in his sworn statement describing some of the paragraphs as “Total Falsehoods”. The narcotic officer said the preliminary investigation reveals that Pablo is not engaged in any business or gainful employment in the Gambia or elsewhere.
Officer Mboge said Pablo does not have any business interest and is without a deeply rooted Gambian family member resident in the Gambia.
“If permitted to travel outside of the Gambia, he will not return. He will frustrate the ongoing financial investigation of this case which will soon conclude,” Mboge said.
The State pointed out the inconsistencies in Pablo’s applications. The first application he made was he wanted the court to allow him to visit his sick mother in Guinea Bissau, who was in need of medical attention. He withdrew that and came up with a second application. This time around he claimed that he was sick and needed overseas treatment.
Officer Mboge pointed out that on or about the 5th of April 2024, Pablo flamboyantly celebrated his birthday in grand style at Coco Ocean Hotel.
“He was visibly seen to be fit and healthy in photos taken on the occasion of his birthday. Attached and marked as Exhibit D)’ are the photos and video containing in flash-dive of his birthday event retrieved from social media,” the narcotic officer said.
Foroyaa understands that Pablo now withdrew his second application. We are following. The State requested for a cost of One Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D100,000) for wasting the court’s time, but the presiding judge, Justice Ebrima Jaiteh used his discretion and awarded cost of Ten Thousand Dalasi (D10,000) against Pablo. We will bring you more on the case as things unfold.
